AN: I'm back ladies and gents! I was initially going to put this as part of the previous chapter but that would have been insanely long.
As usual thanks all for your continued interest and lets get this party started.
I woke up earlier the next day feeling slightly pumped. The conversation with my sister from last night was still replaying and it was keeping me in high spirits. I showered dressed and walked downstairs for breakfast. Like usual Mizuho had already left for work but today she had left me a note at the kitchen table.
Knock em dead cutie-pie sunshine!
Text me if you need help
-XOXO the world's greatest sister
I smiled at the note; she really was the world's greatest sister.
At school:
I turned up early to homeroom (it was just one of those days) and took my seat. Pulling out my trusty notebook/ doodle pad I did something rare and read through a few notes. I figured that I might as well look like I was making an effort or else sensei would want to talk again.
After about eight minutes students started to fill the classroom and take their seats. When Tsukishima entered it was as though an extra sense had awakened in me and began sending warning signals. I didn't look up, I only glanced at him with the corner of my eye, the trauma from yesterday was still fresh. He barely paid me any attention so it probably didn't make a difference, I could tell from here he was in deep conversation with his freckled little friend; I believe his name was Yamaguchi.
Since I planned to avoid as much eye contact with Tsukishima as possible I ended up surprising my teacher with my attentiveness. She even slipped me a thumbs up at one point.
At lunch she asked me if I had asked Tsukishima for help and I explained that the art club had run late so I would ask him today. She smiled and reminded me that the next exam was in a few weeks so I shouldn't put it off for to long.
After our conversation I walked outside and was greeted, as usual, by an over excited Natsumi launching herself at me.
"Kei-chan! Saya said you didn't text her last night, I didn't get any good gossip so how am I supposed to cope?" She stuck out her bottom lip in fake pout and twisted some of her hair that had escaped her bun.
"Sorry but I didn't ask him." Natsumi looked very disappointed at this.
"What did you do?."
"I got scared and ran away." She gave me a look that clearly said: "Really? Really?... Lame!"
"Don't look at me like that. The entire team was coming out and there were just to many people."
"Good grief Kei-chan your making this way harder than it needs to be." She then dragged me to our usually meeting place outside in the courtyard (I feel as though I've been dragged around a lot lately).
The rest of our group was already waiting for us on our usual bench. The twins were waving and Saya looked at me as if she wanted to ask MANY questions. I sat down and faced her with what I hoped was a look of innocence.
"Don't try those eyes on me Keiko, spill it I want to hear everything."
"There's nothing to tell I went to the gym, saw him then ran away." I opened my bento and started picking at my lunch.
"Really!? You actually ran away," the twins said in unison (I really never understood how they did that. Maybe they were psychic).
"Is he that scary?" Tomo asked.
"Did he say anything in class?" The twins asked question after question, so I just waited for my turn to speak.
"I was nervous and freaked. And no he didn't say anything he probably doesn't even remember, I'm just the stupid girl that sits in the back." Saya put her arm around my shoulder and pulled me in for a gentle hug.
"Don't say that, you were smart enough to get in that class."
"Today we'll all go together," Tomo said with a smile.
"Yeah! And if there are to many people we can distract them," Natsumi added. Everyone was nodding in approval; I tried explaining that they didn't need to put themselves out but they laughed and told me to stop worrying.
"Keiko you're to nice. Why on earth do you like that boy?" Natsumi asked with a grin.
After school (because class is boring already so why try and relive it during your free time):
The five of us met after class. Natsumi was the first to arrive followed by Saya then the twins and of course I came running towards them a tad late as usual.
"We should wait till their practice is over" Saya said.
"I agree there's less pressure on our precious Kei-chan," Natsumi answered with a nod.
"So what are we doing then?" I asked.
"Well art club isn't meeting so why not study?" I groaned, but of course I went along with them. We found an empty classroom and Tomo set an alarm on her phone to remind us when to leave. Time past agonizingly slow, I felt as though it had been hours but looking up I realized that we'd only been at it for maybe 40 minutes. Flipping to a new page I started to draw my friends. Saya was bent over her notes causing her long flowing hair to drape across the desk. Natsumi had put on her glasses and was reading, her mouth always opened a bit when she focused intently on the textbook. The twins were swapping notes, Tomo's bob cut swished every time she moved and Mai kept pushing her curls behind a sparkly headband.
The alarm went off just as I finished my sketch and I closed the book with a sigh.
"The moment of truth!" Tomo yelled when she had put away her things and Mai started humming the theme from jaws.
"My friends are freaks," I sighed.
Saya and Natsumi walked on either side of me like I was some kind of prisoner. I looked at Saya as if to say: "Why are you two so close?"
"To make sure you don't run away," she explained answering my silent question. So they continued to frog march me all the way to the gym.
The lights were still on and noise could be heard inside. Saya saw how nervous I was and gave my hand a reassuring squeeze.
"Wait! What do I say?" I asked and my friends looked around at each other.
"I don't know. Ask your sister she's always good with words," Natsumi suggested. I pulled out my phone and sent out a text.
To Mizuho-
Give me an opening to start a conversation
From Mizuho-
Are your legs space pants? Cause they're out of this world.
To Mizuho-
You're useless...
From Mizuho-
Just be yourself, and if all else fails use "all I want between us is latex" that one will definitely start the ball rolling. Good luck!
"Did she say anything useful?" Natsumi asked.
"Not really, but my sister is the queen of weird." Natsumi nodded at this as if it were an expected response.
"Deep breath Keiko," I told myself then Mai was opening the door and we stepped inside.
Natsumi, the loudest of the group, announced our arrival with an excited cry.
"Hinata-kun! I forgot you did volleyball!" I watched as a boy with bright orange hair began waving energetically then started jogging over.
"Do you know him?" I asked.
"Yeah, shorty is in my class."
"Um Natsumi you can't really say that. He's taller than you," I noted as the boy drew closer earning me a look from my tiny friend that I had coined as the Natsumi face.
"Akiyama-chan, what are you doing here?" The boy named Hinata asked.
"My friend Kei-chan needs to ask Tsukishima something." When Hinata turned to me he looked very surprised and I could feel my entire face heat up.
"Nastumi, you make it sound like a confession," I whined under my breath and she gave me a coy little wink. Some of the other boys had taken notice to us and were coming over; I recognized the baldy and his pocket-sized friend from yesterday.
"Did she say Tsukishima?" The shortest of the pair asked.
"Why would a cute girl like her want to talk to that jerk?" His friend answered angrily.
"Tsukishima!" A third year called out and pointed towards me.
"Good luck" Saya whispered and pushed me towards the approaching boy. He looked at me with a look that was half confusion and half annoyance (the second was probably just his face tbh).
"Hi, umm sorry to bother you but I… I wanted to ask a favor." So far so good, no one was really paying attention to us, mainly since Hinata and Natsumi were goofing off royally.
"What is it?" He asked sounding bored. I took one last steadying breath and went for it.
"Sensei told me that my grades haven't been the greatest, and she suggested I ask for help, and you're one of the best in our class, even I think so and you seem to know what you're doing…" (Crap I was rambling).
"So I was wondering if you'd help me out?" It came out in a rush of words and by the end I was pretty red in the face. I looked up and the tall blonde and waited for his answer (god I hoped he'd says yes, I don't think I was emotionally prepared for a no). Tsukishima pushed up his glasses and frowned (not a good sign, insert sad face here).
"If you're not smart enough why don't you just change classes?" He sounded annoyed (was I wasting my time?)
"No; why should I waste my time helping a hopeless idiot who spends all class daydreaming?" I didn't answer, I wanted to run away again but not because I was afraid. There was a crushing sensation deep in my chest. What was this feeling? Rejection? I opened my mouth to try and convince him other wise but Tsukishima's gaze caused me close it again.
"I'm sorry" was all I managed and even that was so quiet I bet he didn't even hear me so I repeated it.
"I'm sorry for wasting your time." Then I turned and ran away before anyone could see that I had started to cry.
Back in the gym:
"Tsukishima! What did I tell you about scaring girls?" Takana had seen most of the ordeal and was pissed, not just because a girl had run away crying but because this was the second time a girl had come to see him.
"I didn't scare her!" Tsukishima glared back at his teammates who were all now giving him dirty looks, even Yamaguchi looked a bit disappointed. Daichi stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Go apologize" he calmly said. Tsukishima huffed, why the hell did he have to do that? It wasn't his fault she couldn't pass her exams, it wasn't his fault that she couldn't take his criticism. He made to protest but Daichi wouldn't hear any of it
Other POV:
When Tsukishima found Keiko she was sitting behind the gym with her head against her knees.
"Deep breath Keiko" she repeated over and over.
He stood looking at her for a good while, apologies weren't his strong point and the entire scenario was making him uncomfortable.
"Hey, um Yamazaki." He tried to make his voice "nicer" but it pretty much sounded the same.
"What?" She whispered. Keiko whipped her face off with the sleeve of her uniform (thank god she didn't wear a lot of makeup or else she would have been one smeary mess). She looked at Tsukishima who was still silent. He couldn't think of what to say. "I'm sorry"? No matter how he phrased it in his head the words never sounded genuine.
"I don't take back what I said." Keiko sighed and looked down at her feet. He mentally face palmed himself. Why? Why did he start by reminding her of why she was crying?
"I don't want your apology, it doesn't suite you," she said.
"I wasn't going to, I just came to say that I'll do it."
"Wait what?" She asked now looking back at him.
"I'll help you."
AN: Special thanks to shark-demon-luv, rex727, TheEccentric1 and BlueDragonofHappiness for following and showing their support
Side note: Because I like music and picking theme songs I decided the song for this story is Contagious by Avril Lavigne ^.^